Comments on: WFMW: Ante/Postpartum depression, round 2 http://dropthebabyweight.com/wordpress/2009/01/28/wfmw-antepostpartum-depression-round-2/ ...Losing the weight without losing your mind Thu, 26 Aug 2010 20:10:00 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Melissa Diskin http://dropthebabyweight.com/wordpress/2009/01/28/wfmw-antepostpartum-depression-round-2/comment-page-1/#comment-26 Melissa Diskin Thu, 29 Jan 2009 14:46:41 +0000 http://dropthebabyweight.com/wordpress/?p=21#comment-26 <strong>Hi jendeis, I have a family history of depression and yet with my first pregnancy I felt fine! Sick but not too sick, so that I was able to exercise (mostly swim). I was still working and so I had that "watercooler effect" of being around others that can help stave off loneliness and the depression that comes with it. Exercise and nutrition make a huge difference in depression of any kind, and were things that were neglected in my 2nd pregnancy -- I was so nauseated that it was all I could do to order takeout, and the lack of exercise (and work) left me feeling lethargic and depressed in general. The good thing is that many depression medications are Class B -- generally considered safe for pregnancy. B is about as safe as it gets, since you can't really test pregnant women and babies, you can just observe. I think someone told me that milk qualifies as a class B agent, if that helps! And one doc said that there are only a few class A drugs -- some thyroid meds, and prenatal vitamins. :-) I would STRONGLY encourage women who are on the fence about taking Zofran/Ondansetron or antidepressants to just go ahead and do it. They're both life-changing, and once I started taking Zofran it changed everything. Here is my take: optimize things so that you don't feel isolated and have a good support system (family, friends, etc). Try to work ahead to give yourself the option, if possible, of taking extended leave, working from home, or quitting your job if you want (we lived off one income for a couple of years to get used to the idea). Get involved with church or your institution of choice so that you'll have a built-in base of moms to help you out. Get a hobby or new career that you can further from home once your baby is a bit older. (I switched careers to become a WAHM/writer when my first was about 6 months old). And lastly: learn to take care of yourself. My family tends to be incredibly neglectful of personal health -- overweight, out of shape, and generally medicating themselves with caffeine. So I'm teaching myself to incorporate exercise and eat better, just for me and my own little family. Do what you can, and get your doctor and support system to help with the rest. And don't borrow trouble from the future -- you may be just fine. :-) </strong> Hi jendeis,
I have a family history of depression and yet with my first pregnancy I felt fine! Sick but not too sick, so that I was able to exercise (mostly swim). I was still working and so I had that “watercooler effect” of being around others that can help stave off loneliness and the depression that comes with it. Exercise and nutrition make a huge difference in depression of any kind, and were things that were neglected in my 2nd pregnancy — I was so nauseated that it was all I could do to order takeout, and the lack of exercise (and work) left me feeling lethargic and depressed in general.

The good thing is that many depression medications are Class B — generally considered safe for pregnancy. B is about as safe as it gets, since you can’t really test pregnant women and babies, you can just observe. I think someone told me that milk qualifies as a class B agent, if that helps! And one doc said that there are only a few class A drugs — some thyroid meds, and prenatal vitamins. :-)

I would STRONGLY encourage women who are on the fence about taking Zofran/Ondansetron or antidepressants to just go ahead and do it. They’re both life-changing, and once I started taking Zofran it changed everything.

Here is my take: optimize things so that you don’t feel isolated and have a good support system (family, friends, etc). Try to work ahead to give yourself the option, if possible, of taking extended leave, working from home, or quitting your job if you want (we lived off one income for a couple of years to get used to the idea). Get involved with church or your institution of choice so that you’ll have a built-in base of moms to help you out. Get a hobby or new career that you can further from home once your baby is a bit older. (I switched careers to become a WAHM/writer when my first was about 6 months old).

And lastly: learn to take care of yourself. My family tends to be incredibly neglectful of personal health — overweight, out of shape, and generally medicating themselves with caffeine. So I’m teaching myself to incorporate exercise and eat better, just for me and my own little family. Do what you can, and get your doctor and support system to help with the rest. And don’t borrow trouble from the future — you may be just fine. :-)

]]> By: Jendeis http://dropthebabyweight.com/wordpress/2009/01/28/wfmw-antepostpartum-depression-round-2/comment-page-1/#comment-25 Jendeis Thu, 29 Jan 2009 05:09:42 +0000 http://dropthebabyweight.com/wordpress/?p=21#comment-25 Thank you so much for writing about your experience. I have battled depression since I was a teenager and am terrified of how my brain will react when we finally do get pregnant. I am grateful that my doctors will be monitoring me, but the anxiety is hard to calm down. Thank you so much for writing about your experience.

I have battled depression since I was a teenager and am terrified of how my brain will react when we finally do get pregnant. I am grateful that my doctors will be monitoring me, but the anxiety is hard to calm down.

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